Before Maria and Josh had their son Isaiah, they didn't know what to expect. They were living with Maria’s family; both money and time were tight. Like all parents, they wanted the best for him and worried about how he was going to achieve his dreams. They thought if Isaiah was in a daycare he could get ahead and they could both work. With the cost of care so high they didn’t know if it would be possible. When Isaiah was three, they heard about Educare West DuPage. “I was looking for a place I could feel safe dropping my kids off; at first I had no idea how much more we would be getting,” said Maria. “I soon realized that Educare was not a daycare, it was a school and so much more.” With the addition of Angel, Neylani and Kamyla, they continue to see all that Educare means to them and the community. Educare West DuPage has a team of Specialists who provide resources to support families and help them achieve their goals. Maria said, “Family engagement staff helped us set goals, and achieve them. We wouldn't be setting goals if it wasn't for them!” The number one goal they set was to move out of Maria’s parents’ home and become independent. They have now been in their own apartment for almost a year and Maria has a full-time job. “If we hadn’t worked on setting goals with you guys (Educare), we never would have gotten here,” said Maria, “and when we moved out we got a lot of support from the staff giving us household items, and one staff person even gave us furniture of her own…and that was awesome! The staff is more like family than it is just staff.”
As Isaiah and Angel have transitioned to kindergarten, Maria noticed her children were much more prepared than other children. She explained, “They already knew how the day was going to be, they had friends they made at Educare, and they had learned a lot of things while being here.”
You can help support more successes like Maria and Josh’s, making dreams come true this year by making a donation to Educare West DuPage. The average cost for all-day school, and our nutritious food program, is approximately $100 for each student. That means each $100 raised represents one day of a student receiving the best education and care.